Of Rikkai
by Frozen Obsidian
Summary: Ten facts about each of the Rikkai Regulars. Final Chapter: Rikkai - They will win, because they are Rikkai, and that says it all.
1. Yukimura Seiichi

**Of Rikkai:  
Yukimura Seiichi**

**1. He was four years old when he first picked up a tennis racquet.**

His father had arranged a game of tennis with an old friend of his. He hadn't meant to bring his toddler son along, but his mother was out of town at the time, so Yukimura had his first exposure to tennis. He had watched in fascination while the two adults played, wide eyes following the ball back and forth.

After a while, Yukimura looked around and saw his father's spare racquet lying next to him. With a child's curiosity, he had picked it up and given the racquet a few experimental swings. The racquet was about as tall he was, but he had run out onto the court and managed to hit one of the returns from his father's friend anyway.

It didn't go over the net, but it was the start of a life-long passion for tennis.

**2. He is the epitome of an overprotective older brother.**

He had a younger sister five years younger than him called Kiyoko. She was a sweet, timid girl that had a fair amount of friends. Yukimura had treated her fondly, although with some of the innate bossiness all older siblings had. However, he had really reared his head as an older brother when he saw her crying since one of the older boys in school had torn up one of her dolls.

The boy had spent the next six weeks with a broken arm and a life-long nervous twitch. But of course, no one traced it back to Yukimura.

**3. He was terrified when he heard the doctor's diagnostic.**

"Guillain–Barré syndrome." The doctor had said quietly. "An autoimmune disorder that…"

Yukimura had listened with barely-surpressed horror as the doctor continued to explain. He had heard the symptoms, the effects, the percentages of fatality with a sort of out-of-body numbness.

When both the doctors and his family had finally left, he had lain there, just staring at the ceiling as his mind whirled.

For the first real time in his fourteen years of life, Yukimura Seiichi was absolutely terrified.

**4. He was a medical miracle.**

By all medical calculations, Yukimura was not supposed to even be able to play tennis at an average level ever again. He was not supposed to be able to ever become a part-time athlete, let alone return as one of _the _best young tennis players in Japan.

His recovery had baffled quite a number of medical experts. He had defied calculations and statistics and percentages through pure will power. (Yanagi always had a problem predicting him too.)

His team had always believed he could do it, screw the odds. But getting beaten down to the ground by a fully recovered Yukimura helped a load to erase unmentioned fears.

Yes, Yukimura Seiichi had defied all odds, simply because he wouldn't ever give in.

**5. He is rich, though nobody actually realizes this.**

His father is an extremely successful business man, while his mother is an acclaimed fashion designer. (He has been used as a model multiple times, though no one knows this. Yanagi and Niou suspects, but will never say anything, for fear of painful death) Together, they rake in money by the millions a year. However, no one outside his closest friends are aware of this. In other words, no one but the Rikkai regulars.

Except for Atobe Keigo, since his father had made several business deals with the Atobe empire over the past ten years.

Yukimura doesn't advertise this fact, because to him, it doesn't matter. He wants to succeed with his own power, not by leaning on his family's money.

**6. He has been mistaken multiple times for a girl.**

This is unsurprising, seeing as he is in fact, very pretty. But Yukimura doesn't take kindly to being called a girl, as one unfortunate sales promoter finds out. The man has developed a nervous tic in his left eye from that incident.

Oh yes, you should never call Yukimura 'Miss', unless you _like _having a black eye and possible (definite) mental trauma.

**7. He received his headband from Yanagi.**

Technically, he had received it from his whole team. But Yanagi is the one that indirectly starts it off.

Nobody had noticed that his bangs had kept falling in front his eyes except for Yanagi (who noticed too much and too little at the same time).

So Yanagi had made an offhand remark to Akaya, who being who he is, told it to Marui, Jackal and Niou; which led to Niou dragging Yagyuu along. Sanada, noticing the gathering went over to yell at them all, but was roped in by Yanagi. (After all, if it was to help Yukimura, Sanada was pretty much willing to do anything).

They had presented the headband to Yukimura the very next day, (paid by an unsuspecting Sanada)

Yukimura smiled and thanked them, and remarked with a smirk, "You know, Yanagi, would getting me a headband with your own money cost that much?"

Yanagi shrugged and replied, "It's easier."

Sanada felt used.

**8. He knows his team better than they know themselves.**

He knows the faults, strengths and insecurities they each have, both on and off the courts.

He knows that Sanada is willing to do almost anything for him, is terrified of needles and treasures his cap because it is a gift from his late-grandfather.

He knows that Yanagi has obsessive compulsive tendencies, that he misses his old friend Sadaharu Inui and he has an unexpected love of chocolate covered éclairs.

He knows that Niou has abandonment issues, has white hair due to a bleaching accident when he was six and plays tricks to distract himself from what's happening at home.

He knows that Yagyuu has a drive to win that maybe surpasses his own, that Yagyuu likes switching with Niou because he feels so much freer, and that Yagyuu fears failure and disappointing the people that believe in him more than anything else.

He knows that Marui doesn't really have stamina problems anymore, that chewing gum is just habitual to him now, and that Marui has an inferiority complex because of his genius younger brother.

He knows that Jackal wants to meet his old model again, but not before he is as good as he can be; he knows that Jackal is extremely prideful, but doesn't show it as much as his teammates; he knows that Jackal has an autistic younger sister and that is why he is so good at caring for people younger than him.

He knows that Akaya idolizes him, that Akaya hates his family, that he doesn't actually like hurting people, but can't stop and hates himself for it.

Yukimura knows his teammates well, and subtly helps each of them. And abuses their fears when they err him.

**9. He is scary both on and off the courts.**

It is undeniable that Yukimura is a terror on the courts. The sheer determination and drive to win is enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine. His style of tennis does nothing to alleviate that fear.

But only the Rikkai Regulars know just how terrifying Yukimura can be off the courts. He does not assign the traditional laps when somebody screws up (rather leaves that to Sanada). Instead, he designs creative punishments for each and everyone of his teammates, depending on their secret fears.

When Sanada screws up one day, Yukimura smiles sweetly at him and asks (orders) Sanada to go for a blood donation drive with him.

Yanagi is the only one that gets the punishment, and so he is the only one laughing. Everyone else is just confused.

**10. He will win.**

He will not lose, that is the Rikkai creed. It is the motto and backbone of Rikkai that was created and cemented by him.

Yukimura will not give in due to his health or any other reason, he will always struggle with all his might to rise back up and win.

Because Yukimura _is_ Rikkai, and Rikkai will win, no matter the cost.

-0-0-0-

First of the series, the captain!

Next up: Sanada Geniichirou

If you liked it, please comment; if you disliked it, please critique.

I like this one though, especially number 8.

~FO


	2. Sanada Geniichirou

**Of Rikkai:  
Sanada Geniichirou**

**1. He started out with kendo before moving onto tennis.**

He had been introduced to the art of kendo at the age of five. He had enjoyed it a great deal, but had always felt unsatisfied because his older brother has always surpassed him.

His older brother has a natural talent for kendo, and though Sanada had been quite good, he had always stood in his brother's shadow.

So at the age of eight, he sets out to find a sport where he can excel more than his brother.

He goes to the nearest gym and watches the different sports going on. He doesn't want basketball; he dislikes the look of football and just plain rejects volleyball. He wants to be solo on the playing field, whatever he selects. He has never been able to work as part of a team; his drive to shine on his own is too strong.

Then, he sets his eyes on two boys playing tennis. One person on each end, hitting a ball back and forth, back and forth...

And he knows, just knows, that this is the sport for him.

**2. He slaps them not because he is cruel.**

He does it because he wants to motivate them. He has been raised with strict discipline, and as the leading figure in Yukimura's absence, he trains them the only way he knows how; by dishing out punishments whenever someone doesn't achieve their proper potential.

He knows they are probably sour with him because of this, but he doesn't mind, as long as they keep improving, they can say what they want about him. He knows they know it is simply to make them work harder.

He slaps them not because he is cruel, but because he cares.

**3. He admires his grandfather more than anyone else.**

His grandfather had been wise and calm and disciplined without being overly stern or forceful. In Sanada's mind, his grandfather was everything a man should strive to become.

His grandfather had always lent a ear to Sanada whenever he was facing troubles. It doesn't matter to his grandfather that Sanada is not as good as his older brother in the family discipline of kendo. Rather, all his grandfather cares about is that Sanada is his grandchild, and so he is just as important as anyone else in his family.

So when his grandfather gives him a cap for his twelfth birthday, he swears to treasure it forever.

When his grandfather passes away, he is heartbroken, and swears to become everything his grandfather is; wise, calm and disciplined. He is still a long way away, but he will always keep trying.

**4. He is devoted to Yukimura.**

He has always admired Yukimura Seiichi for both his prowess on the tennis courts and his charisma off them. He is well aware that he will never have the charm that Yukimura seems to possess without even trying.

He admires Yukimura's strength and will power to never give in, no matter the odds. He thinks that Yukimura takes on too much sometimes, and fears that his captain will run himself too thin.

Because he knows that if Yukimura falls apart, Rikkai will fall with him. And Sanada Geniichirou will be the first to fall.

**5. He is strict with his teammates.**

He does not accept excuses. He does not let them relax when they can still go a bit further.

He will make them run laps until they collapse, panting and groaning on the field.

He will slap them when they fail to win, to provide motivation when they are still reeling in the shock of actually _losing_.

He will always be the stern, unyielding fukubuchou to Rikkai. It doesn't matter that at the end of the year he will graduate and no longer be their fukubuchou in name; he will always be their vice-captain, regardless of age.

**6. He is very fond of his team.**

Yes, they drive him mad half the time and just plain confuses him the other half.

Yes, they do not respect authority (except Yukimura's, but everyone respects Yukimura) and are callous and rude.

But when he sees Marui overcoming his stamina problems; when Jackal cuts down another second on his lap time; when Niou and Yagyuu's combination becomes more seamless than any pair he's ever seen; when Akaya is finally showing the signs of being the captain that Sanada knows he can be… Sanada feels a fierce pride, that he has helped them along this far. That he is helping them in realizing their potential.

It goes without saying that he is fond of Yanagi Renji and Yukimura Seiichi; they are the closest friends he's ever had, and it doesn't matter that in a few years, they will go their separate ways, the two of them will always have a special place in Sanada's heart.

Also, Sanada considers that he is possibly masochistic for actually _enjoying_ taking care of some of the maddest teenagers under the sun.

In Yukimura's opinion, he thinks that Sanada would make an excellent teacher.

**7. He fears letting his emotions rule him.**

He has always been taught that a man should think with his brain and not with his heart. He doesn't like it when his emotions take over and he makes impulsive decisions. It's like he can't even guess where it will bring him. Sanada doesn't like that, because he likes staying grounded.

He doesn't like it when he feels that he is losing control of his surroundings, and that usually happens when his emotions take charge.

So he tries to reign in his emotions and be undaunted by any challenge.

This is however, rather difficult in Rikkai; since Rikkai is the place where mind-twisting things can happen everyday, Sanada constantly feels his brain melt out of his ears.

Yukimura thinks this is good for Sanada, because sometimes it's better to think with your heart.

And hey, if it helps Sanada get rid of his reputation as a man with the personality of a rock, then all the better.

**8. He will not underestimate anyone ever again.**

Losing to Echizen was a shock. What makes it even worse is that Sanada knows that he could have beaten the boy if he had gone all-out from the beginning.

If he had used the whole of his FuuRinKaZan, he could've ended the match before Echizen really got into his stride. He could be holding the Kantou region gold medal in his hands to present to Yukimura if he had not made the mistake of underestimating Echizen.

He hates himself for looking down on an opponent, and thereby causing him to break the promise he had made with Yukimura.

So, he swears, that even if his facing a snot-nosed brat with an abnormal grip on his racquet, he will not underestimate anyone ever again.

**9. He trusts Yanagi Renji the most.**

He trusts Yanagi even more than Yukimura, strange though it might seem.

He trusts Yukimura of course, but it is just easier to trust Yanagi, somehow. In a way, he would trust Yukimura with his life, but trust Yanagi with his secrets and to keep him steady.

Yanagi is always there and never falters. He can keep you grounded simply by talking to you. If he trusts you, he will speak so frankly that you always know exactly where you are with him. He doesn't indulge in the mind games Yukimura so enjoys. At least, he doesn't with Sanada.

After all, thinks Yanagi, one mind-screwing best friend is more than Sanada can handle. So he keeps those mind games for others.

**10. He will not accept defeat.**

He will not accept a loss. It goes right against the Rikkai motto, which means it directly goes against Yukimura.

He will not accept failure, whether it is from his teammates or himself.

But most of all, he will not accept defeat. Because you can lose against somebody, you can fail to win the game, but you _cannot_ accept defeat. Because this means that you have given up, that you accept that you are not good enough. And when this happens, you stop trying, which is the biggest loss and failure of all.

So even if Sanada loses a thousand matches, he will never accept defeat.

-0-0-0-

I didn't mean to write this one so soon, but inspiration struck and wouldn't leave me alone until it was all written. And if I finish writing it, I have to post it. XD

This one feels more serious, somehow. But I like number 6.

And I love all of you for reading this! And wow, ten reviews in one day! It makes me warm with fuzzy happiness. (Does that make sense?)

Next up: Yanagi Renji

But don't expect that one to come as quickly. :P

~FO


	3. Yanagi Renji

**Of Rikkai:**

**Yanagi Renji**

**1. He had not meant to take up a sport.**

He had always been more academically-inclined, even from a young age. However, his father, who was a fairly good athlete, insisted that his son take up a sport. It wasn't good for Yanagi to be constantly glued to the desk, he had said.

So, at the age of nine, his father took him to try out for various sports. Basketball, football... and of course tennis.

He instantly preferred tennis over the other sports.

In team sports, you couldn't calculate the movements of every player precisely.

In tennis, you could calculate every variable; the wind, the angle, and the movements of your opponent(s) almost exactly.

He began working out the percentages and possibilities within the first six days of picking up a tennis racquet.

Within a year, he had mastered the art of making predictions.

His father was proud.

**2. He regrets leaving Inui Sadaharu.**

Yanagi had been the one who had taught Inui Data Tennis. He had seen the boy trying to learn all the fancy moves that the seniors used, and failing. He had also noticed the calculative gleam in Inui's eyes.

Yanagi had always been very protective over his style of tennis, but something in him told him to teach it to Inui. So he did.

As he had predicted, Inui soon mastered the basis of Data Tennis. Their tennis coach had seen the two of them playing a game, and asked if they would like to become a doubles pair.

Yanagi and Inui had shared a glance, and nodded in sync. They soon ruled the Junior Tennis circuit for doubles. No one could stand in their way.

Inui Sadaharu had been Yanagi's first friend and best doubles partner ever. So, when their decisive match was stopped before the end, Yanagi felt miserable. He regretted not being able to find the closure he wanted.

Yanagi knows that the only person that he can lose to and feel no remorse would have to be Sadaharu.

That was why he had sworn not play doubles with anyone before finishing the match with Sadaharu.

Even though he lost, he feels satisfied.

**3. He is a master of psychological warfare.**

He knew there was no such thing as a 100 percent prediction (because that wouldn't be a prediction any longer; it would be a fact). However, he tells his opponents that there is a 100 percent chance, because it scares them more than 99 percent.

He knows that if you needle underneath your opponent's skin, you can mess up their rhythm.

He's well aware that if you use their own techniques against them, you can break their spirit.

He understands that if you appear to know exactly what is going to happen, you can screw with your opponent's mind.

And if you screw with their minds, you screw with their games.

Which means you win.

**4. He has never been able to predict Yukimura.**

Yukimura had always been a puzzle. He manages to defy every one of Yanagi's carefully thought out predictions easily.

That is perhaps why Yanagi is such good friends with Yukimura, because Yanagi has always liked puzzles. He likes it when there are always new variables to input, because that creates a challenge.

If you can always predict what someone will do, it becomes boring. And Yukimura is always evolving and adapting and changing.

Yanagi thinks that Yukimura will always be fascinating.

Whereas Yukimura has a lot of fun finding out what data Yanagi has on him and defying it on purpose.

He finds Yanagi's confusion amusing.

**5. He understands Sanada.**

This is perhaps why Sanada is so willing to trust him. Because he understands Sanada's feelings and motivations like he has never been able to understand Yukimura's.

Yukimura thinks with his heart, while he and Sanada think with their heads.

He also thinks of Sanada as his anchor, because when everything around him is changing and shifting, Sanada will always stay grounded and sane.

But Sanada surprises him sometimes, when Sanada's will and drive explodes, and Yanagi finds it exhilarating, because he has never liked stick-in-the-muds.

And though Sanada is unmovable, he is never boring. No matter what Niou, Marui and Kirihara say.

**6. He is unable to write creative essays.**

This surprises quite a few of the people around him, because they think that Yanagi Renji is perfect at academics.

However, this is wrong. Yanagi knows that all his attention to numbers and details and obsession with having things _just so_ has killed his imagination.

Yanagi knows he will never be able to write a completely original piece, but rather his works will always be a hodgepodge of ideas he has collected from all the books his reads.

His written work is mediocre at best, boring at worse. His teacher has always told him that his stories are too analytical, that he doesn't leave anything to the reader's imagination.

This is one of the reasons why he so admires Yukimura, because Yukimura is most certainly creative.

**7. He fears being wrong.**

Yanagi knows he has obsessive-compulsive tendencies. That he panics whenever something is out of order.

This is the root of his fear. Because when he is wrong, it means something is out of order with his data, which means _he _didn't gather his information correctly, which will collapse his Data Tennis, which will cause him to _lose_.

Perhaps his fear is not being wrong in itself, but rather the repercussions it can bring.

Because he can accept loss when he is simply outclassed by talent; he cannot accept loss simply because of his own miscalculation.

He fears being wrong, because that will disappoint his team, and that is his greatest fear of all.

**8. He creeps out his teammates.**

He knows this very well. In fact, he has even come to feel a perverse kind of pride for this.

He creeps them out because no matter how sneaky they try to be, they know that Yanagi will always be able to foil them if he wants to.

But the fact that Yanagi knows so much about them doesn't just creep them out, it comforts them too, in a strange way.

Because it's somehow comforting to know that someone knows almost every detail about you and still likes you for it. It's nice to know that someone knows your basest faults and accepts you.

So yes, Yanagi creeps out his teammates with his data, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

However, they drew the line when Yanagi started predicting the colour of their underwear; that was just plain disturbing.

**9. He told Yukimura to not consider him as a candidate for vice-captain.**

Yanagi knows that he is not leader material. He will always be the one in the background, subtly manipulating things.

Yanagi also knows that Sanada would be the better vice-captain, that Sanada is the perfect match for Yukimura's captaincy.

So that is why he tells Yukimura straight off to make Sanada the vice-captain, because that is what is best for the team.

Yukimura just laughed and told Yanagi that he was planning to anyway. After all, being vice-captain would give Yanagi a lot less time to gather data, right? And they couldn't have that.

However, Yanagi knows that Yukimura would prefer Sanada as his vice-captain in comparison to Yanagi even without that factor, because Sanada is more fun to mess with.

If there is one thing that Yanagi can always predict about Yukimura, it is that his best friend loves messing with people.

**10. He will never stop trying.**

He wants to win. He wants to be the victor in whatever he participates in.

Of course, he knows he will not win 100 percent of the time. He is well aware that there is always someone better than him. That no matter how much he works, it is impossible to be the best in everything.

This does not mean he will give up on trying to be though, because Yanagi has his pride, and his pride will never allow it.

-0-0-0-0-

Gah, Yanagi you screwed with_ my _mind. It took so long to work out every thing for this one. I love Yanagi, I find him one of the most interesting characters in the series, but it was so hard to put it to words...

I hope I did him justice...

I love you all for reading! And reviewing!

Please tell me what you liked and didn't like.

Next: Yagyuu Hiroshi OR Niou Masaharu

Which would you like first? Tell me in your review! (Hint, hint, hint!)

~FO


	4. Niou Masaharu

**Of Rikkai: **

**Niou Masaharu**

**1. He picked up tennis at the age of ten.**

He had been bored and needed something to occupy himself with. Or rather, to distract himself with.

His parents have never stopped arguing. He has learned to block it out now, but at the age of nine, it's really hard to ignore the screams and yells.

So he set out to find something that would help him do so.

He recalled one of his father's associates saying that tennis was a very enjoyable sport, and his father had given him a racquet for his ninth birthday; a guilt gift for never being around.

He tried tennis out, and decided he liked it. It was a good distraction, it was hard to think of what was going on at home when all you could see and think about was the ball, the court and your opponent.

He never said it, but he was thankful for tennis not just because it was a distraction, but because it had led him to some of the best friends ever.

**2. He craves attention.**

His parents never wanted him. This is not an assumption; his mother has actually told him this to his face.

He was an accident between a seventeen year-old teenager and a twenty-six year-old business man.

The only reason they are still married is because his father doesn't want to take care of his child on his own and his mother is fine as long her husband still has enough money to support her lifestyle.

His father is barely ever home, unable to stand living with the woman he had married for any extended amount of time.

His mother ignores him most of the time, unless he has gotten into trouble. All of this compounds to make Niou a very affection-deprived child.

This is really the reason he started playing tricks, because it gets attention from his mother.

Because to him, bad attention is better than no attention at all.

**3. He is a genius at manipulation.**

Niou has always been able to observe more than the average person. He has been able to notice the subtle habits of any person, after spending less than an hour with them.

He also has an innate gift for psychology, able to predict how people will act instinctively (something Yanagi envies).

Some people have told him to use his gifts for good (a _very_ overused cliché, Niou thinks), but Niou thinks that would suck all the fun out of life. So he uses his gifts for manipulation and observation for pranks and tricks.

Good, successful pranks require meticulous planning, and his brain delights in clambering around puzzles and complexities.

So when the lab catches fire, Niou will be the one behind it (unless it was the bumbling first-year again), and everyone knows this, but no one will be able to catch him, because Niou will have made sure to have a perfect alibi.

When Sanada's drink is mysteriously switched with some of Yanagi's friend's Penal Tea, everyone knows that Niou was probably the source of it, but Niou's made sure that everything is in place so that Sanada can do nothing about it.

He weaves a tangled web of lies and manipulations, because he is scared of people seeing him for what he is, an abandoned and lost boy. No one has caught on yet.

However, Niou also manipulates for another reason, because it is the one thing he has always been the best at, and Niou revels in being number one, at least in something.

**4. He likes switching with Yagyuu.**

As himself, he gets wariness.

As Yagyuu, he gets respect and admiration.

When he's being Yagyuu, he can get away with anything, because nobody expects the Gentleman to be involved in sordid pranks.

Everybody respects him as Yagyuu, and this makes him feel… happy. Maybe happy isn't the exact word for it, but it works.

And the confusion it causes appeals to his sadistic side. It's a win-win situation.

**5. He finds Yagyuu scary sometimes. **

Yagyuu's burning ambition is terrifying, because Niou has never been able to match it. Niou wants to win, that is undeniable, but not as much as Yagyuu does.

Niou plays tennis to have fun manipulating and screwing with people's minds legally.

Yagyuu plays to win, and is willing to do anything to achieve this.

Niou cannot comprehend this, because he is sure that he is going to end up as nothing. Too many years of being told he is useless has taken its toll on Niou. Niou is sure that he is going to end up as an unknown man with an average job and married to the bottle.

Niou knows that Yagyuu never accepts defeat, on or off the courts. Unbeknownst to Niou, Yagyuu is working on ensuring that Niou will become what he can be, and not what Niou thinks he will be.

After all, Yagyuu can't have a broken doubles partner.

**6. He has no outstanding athletic ability.**

Niou has accepted this fact long ago, that he will never be the fastest, or the strongest, or the one with the best aim.

This does not mean he will stop trying, because he still wants to prove himself.

If he can't win with his body, he will do his best to win his mind.

There's a small part of his heart that asks him why he bothers, since he will end up losing anyway, but Niou ignores it, because though he has given up on himself, he carries the hopes of the Rikkai Regulars, and it is what drives him to keep trying. Rikkai helps their own, and Rikkai is the only thing keeping Niou from giving in.

**7. He slapped Sanada because he was the only one that could see why Sanada needed it.**

While everyone was hesitating and wondering what the heck should they do, Niou stepped forward and gave Sanada a slap harder than any Sanada's ever given him.

He saw that Sanada felt lost, and needed something to drive him on. And if no one else could see this, Niou would have to be the one who took action.

And hey, it was sort-of sweet revenge against Sanada anyway. Because damn, those slaps _hurt_.

**8. He loves being part of the Rikkai Regulars.**

It's nice to be part of something, when you know that even if they go their separate ways, the Rikkai Regulars will always have bonds stronger than the hardest diamond.

He has always be seen as callous and rude and maybe even uncaring, and maybe he is. But that doesn't mean he can't be fond of his teammates nonetheless.

He adores his captain (just like the rest of Rikkai, Niou's just better at masking it), and admires his ability to pull in anyone and make their life feel even a little bit better just with his presence. It also helps that Yukimura's evil side mingles very well with his own.

He likes Sanada, despite popular belief. He respects his vice-captain's down-to-earth personality and ways. But that doesn't mean that Niou can't do his best to remove the stick up Sanada's ass.

He finds Yanagi fascinating, which means he likes Yanagi, because Niou likes puzzles. He also appreciates Yanagi's subtle touches of sadism.

He is, of course, fond of Yagyuu. He enjoys being around the guy and likes his view of the world, which isn't as polite as people think. Yagyuu's a wonderful person for playing pranks too.

Marui is his best friend, so it goes without saying that Niou is fond of him. It's nice to have a partner-in crime and Marui is also a very nice target for his pranks.

Jackal is fun, at least, he is to Niou. Niou has yet to manage to make Jackal completely lose his cool (a feat he has managed with everyone else, even Yukimura), and this makes an exciting challenge.

He is kind-of fond of the brat, also known as Kirihara Akaya. Niou is training Akaya to become the next Trickster, but doubts he will succeed, because Akaya's a bit too dense in the ways of subtle manipulations. Oh well, Akaya's a good person to irritate anyway, his explosions usually cause more havoc, which Niou delights in.

Yes, Niou is fond of his team. And when Niou is fond of you (or really hates you), he plays many, many pranks on you.

It was Niou's way of showing the dysfunctional Rikkai love.

**9. He admires Yukimura Seiichi.**

It is undeniable that Yukimura Seiichi has an aura about him. Something about the frail-looking boy naturally attracted people to him.

Niou admires him for his determination, for the fact that Yukimura has succeeded at the one part that Niou has always failed, that Yukimura never gives up.

-/-

Yukimura thinks that Niou has not given up as much as Niou thinks he has. That underneath all of his fear, there is still a pot of ambition.

He thinks that Niou is a contradiction put to life. Niou has both given up on winning, and keeps trying to win regardless.

Niou is a Trickster, born and bred. He plays tricks on everyone, even his own self.

**10. He wants to win.**

Niou doesn't know why he wants to win, when he has resigned himself to failure anyway. But he does.

He wants to bring a proud smile to the faces of his mother and father, because somewhere deep down, he thinks it can make them love him.

He wants to realize the hopes and dreams of the Rikkai Regulars, because they are the only thing keeping him from giving up.

He wants to win, because it would be the only thing that could prove to himself that he isn't useless, after all.

-0-0-0-

Out of the four Rikkai Regulars I've done, Niou has _got_ to be the hardest.

I love Niou, and he was really, really hard to describe. -cries-

I hope it didn't turn out horrible, if it did, I'm really sorry. Please tell me if there's any part that needs improving...

Next up: Yagyuu Hiroshi

~FO


	5. Yagyuu Hiroshi

**Of Rikkai:**

**Yagyuu Hiroshi**

**1. He enjoys tennis, almost as much as likes golf.**

He is very thankful to Niou for dragging him into tennis. He loves golf, but sometimes it can get a little lonely.

When he's playing tennis, he is always surrounded by people, regardless whether he is playing doubles or singles. Maybe it is just Rikkai, and not every tennis team, but Yagyuu's never alone when on the tennis courts.

It doesn't matter if it's Akaya playing some ridiculous joke, or Yanagi's constant presence when he's observing you, or when you can feel Yukimura's or Sanada's eyes watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake so that they can pounce on you, but it's impossible to feel isolated in Rikkai.

In the golf club, everyone is just very polite and vague with each other, usually not going beyond the boundaries of acquaintance.

In the tennis club, everyone is dragged along by Yukimura's fire, whether they realize it or not.

Yes, Yagyuu loves golf, with tennis as a close second.

But he prefers being part of the tennis club, in comparison to the golf club.

**2. He was raised to wear a gentlemanly mask at all times.**

His father is a lawyer, and in court, you have to maintain a steely but courteous demeanor at all times to be successful.

You have to be cold, removed and still manage to be involved in the case. You can't let the other lawyer see your nervousness and anxiety, because it presents him with a opening for him to poke and prod at. But you can't be rude and off-handed either. Besides, sometimes being polite can be more cutting than a direct jab.

His father knows this, and acting like the cold, aloof gentleman has become ingrained into him. He acts it at home, as well as in court.

So Yagyuu copies him, because his father is his role model, and acting the gentleman has its uses outside the courtroom as well.

Because when you're best friends with one Niou Masaharu, it's important that no one suspects it's _him _behind the half the pranks.

Yes, he liked mischief, but he did not like the punishment that usually followed. Detention was horribly tedious.

Being a gentleman in the eyes of the teachers and students erases the chance of getting punishment.

It's a win-win situation for him.

**3. He is not really polite.  
**

Yes, he goes through life with a cordial smile and courteous façade. But it is just that, a façade. He doesn't really mean what he says.

While Yagyuu graciously extends his arm to the ditzy schoolgirl to help her up, he's thinking about how her perfume is too noxious and how much she's an idiot.

When he's apologizing to the arrogant guy that Niou has just offended, he is internally agreeing with every word Niou says, and wants to add a few more.

The only one who knows what he's really like is Niou.

That suits Yagyuu just fine.

-0-0-

Niou finds it hilarious.

**4. He likes switching with Niou.**

As Yagyuu, he's expected to be the perfect gentleman. He's supposed to be the one with the calm demeanor, the one who is always civil and considerate, the person that never insults anybody.

When he's Niou, he can be as rude and callous and blunt as he wants, and nobody blinks an eye.

He can insult the ditzy schoolgirl who fell down, and the girl would only huff in indignation.

If he tried that as Yagyuu, the girl would probably burst into tears. And making a girl cry is never a wise maneuver. It took too much time to assuage her, and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

To put is simply, as Niou, Yagyuu just feels so much freer.

**5. He has 20/20 vision.**

He can see perfectly well without his glasses. Heck, his vision is probably better than most of the people who _don't _wear glasses.

But his eyes have always been too expressive. They show if he's happy, sad or scornful much too clearly.

It's hard to be seen as a gentleman when your eyes are conveying your scorn so evidently as you graciously apologize for what your best friend has just said.

So he bought a pair of reflective glasses, to hide his thoughts from the world. If they can't see his eyes, they can't see that he's thinking about how stupid he thinks their acting.

Besides, it also adds to his polite and honourable mask.

Which is fine with him.

**6. He fears losing.**

Yagyuu hates losing. You will realize this after playing just one game against him. His burning ambition is perhaps even surpasses Yukimura's.

Yes, he enjoys playing tennis and golf, but it is not his primary objective.

He plays to win, with the enjoyment of the game being secondary.

When he loses, he feels the failure closing in on him; whispers that he has just disappointed everyone that believed in him grow louder.

Yagyuu fears losing, more than anything in the world.

**7. He is constantly underestimated.**

Nobody sees him as a threat. All they see is a tall, calm boy who fades into the background around his louder and more colourful teammates.

They don't think he is much of a threat, instead focusing on the obvious dangers that Rikkai holds: Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi and the rest.

They don't see the cold gleam behind his glasses as he contemplates how to take you down.

They don't know his drive to win that is festering within him, ready to explode.

They will always underestimate him, and it will always lead to their demise.

**8. He finds the Rikkai Regulars fascinating.**

For most of his childhood, he had been surrounded by manners and sophistication. People were always polite and very detached. It was the world he had grown accustomed to.

Then came Niou, who dragged him into the world of the Rikkai Regulars.

Nobody in the Regulars resembles his childhood world.

Yukimura, whilst polite and charming, was very blunt and loved screwing with people's minds too much to match his previous view of the world. And Yukimura was anything but detached, his burning charisma dragged everyone with him, and you couldn't help but to become devoted to him.

Sanada was stoic and noble, and perhaps the closest to matching his gentlemanly way of life. But Sanada's hot-temper and bland honesty prevented him from becoming a gentleman. After all, a gentleman did _not_ tell a girl that she was getting fat. Sanada still wondered what he did wrong. Everyone else just shakes their head at Sanada's obliviousness.

Yanagi's straight-forward calculations and observations did not let him seem very civil. Yes, Yanagi was polite and courteous, but he didn't hesitate to tell you exactly what he knew (not thought) about you, regardless of it's subject matter. He was quite willing to tell you that your new haircut made you 68 percent uglier.

Whereas Niou was most certainly _not _a gentleman, he tripped up girls and punched guys pretty much every minute of the day. No, Niou was most certainly unlike anything Yagyuu had encountered when he was younger. Niou was a raw and unrefined diamond, and Yagyuu appreciated that.

Marui's aloof arrogance was not very courtly, because a gentleman did not praise himself, but praised others. Marui praised himself, but rarely praised others, which automatically ruled him out as a candidate for most gentlemanly teenager of the year.

Jackal was very mild and well-mannered, but was quite willing to kick you in the face if you irked him. He found this out when a couple of their year mates were picking on Jackal about his mixed heritage. He did not know Jackal could kick that high, or that hard.

And then there was Kirihara, who was just about the opposite of a gentleman, since he was a bouncing ball of energy and extraordinarily oblivious to everyday courtesies. Kirihara had a temper like a powder keg and was extremely affectionate and clingy to the people he liked. Gentlemen did _not_ show their emotions so obviously.

He has never met anyone quite like the people in the Rikkai tennis team, and the contrast they showed compared to his home life fascinates him.

And though he has never said it, all of them know that Yagyuu loves being part of their crazy world.

**9. He is very calculative.**

Behind his glasses, his eyes are always watching, and waiting for a chance to strike.

He had noticed Kikumaru's tell-tale habit within three looks, and had calculated how to use it against him within the next serve. While he was acting as Niou at the time, his mind is still his, and the calculative streak was most certainly part of him.

He knows that when Niou pulls one of his tricks, his voice goes just a little lower, and at the back of his mind, Yagyuu has already calculated how to use this against Niou.

Nobody much realizes just how calculative and ruthless Yagyuu really is, except for Yukimura, who somehow knows everything about his teammates, and Niou, who knows him better than his own family.

Niou calls him The Calculative Bastard.

Yagyuu supposes it suits him.

**10. He will not lose.**

Losing means he failed, and Yagyuu does not accept failure. Failure means he has screwed up, and Yagyuu does _not _screw up.

Yagyuu is the one who is expected to be perfect, by everyone around him, and by himself. When he loses, it means that he had just disappointed everyone.

Yagyuu believes he must always win, because that is what has been impressed on him since he was a child.

So no, Yagyuu will not lose. He will not allow it.

-0-0-0-

Just to mention it, this follows both manga and anime verse. I probably should have said that earlier...

Sorry about the two week delay, I had exams.

And this is Yagyuu, who was really hard to write, because goddamnit, he had barely any screen time. Sadly.

I hope this sounds like him though.

Next up: Marui Bunta

Please review!

~FO


	6. Marui Bunta

**Of Rikkai:  
Marui Bunta**

**1. He has swept through many games before arriving at tennis.**

He is a natural at athletics; he takes to any game like a fish to water.

He first started with basketball, despite his average height, he soon built a name for himself as one of the best point guards in middle school, because he was fast, and could play tricks with the ball no one else at their level could.

But basketball's thrill didn't last long, so he switched to baseball. Again, he soon became a famous pitcher, because his control, as his coach said, was extraordinary. But his love affair with baseball faded away even quicker than it did with basketball.

Then, he tried his hand at volleyball. And just like the other games, he was a natural at it. He could do every trick in the book with what appeared to be effortless ease. But somehow or other, his heart was never in it.

Failing to find much joy in team sports, he decided to try out some one-man sports. He dabbled a bit in badminton; but it didn't interest him much. Then, he tried out ping-pong (also known as table tennis), but he found the playing field too small.

By the time he was 12, he had gone through 7 different games, and had excelled at each, but didn't find much thrill with any of them.

Then he entered Rikkai, and tried out tennis.

And the rest they say, is history.

**2. He loves his younger brothers.**

Like every older brother, he loves his younger siblings. No matter how much he teases and heckles his little brothers, he still loves them.

He has two younger brothers, Marui Kiyo (11) and Marui Souji (3). Souji is still a baby in his eyes, and though he finds him adorable, Marui's still not that attached to him.

And then there's Kiyo, who is witty, and charming, and Marui's best friend. Marui can share any secret with his younger brother, and can trust Kiyo with anything.

Anybody that hurts either of his younger brothers, is booking themselves a ticket for a world of hurt, courtesy of Marui Bunta, and probably Niou Masaharu, who can always be trusted to be nearby whenever there is a plot to be hatched.

In Marui's eyes, three broken bones are not worth even one of his younger brother's tears.

** 3. He hates his younger brother.**

Yes, he loves Kiyo, but somehow, he hates him too.

Before Kiyo turned five, Marui was the golden child. The smart and talented Marui Bunta could do no wrong in his parent's eyes.

But then, Kiyo turned out to be even more of a genius than his older brother. And suddenly, Marui was just the slightly above average older brother who was no where near his younger brother's level.

All the attention that had been focused on Marui, abruptly shifted to Kiyo, and Marui was left wondering what he did wrong. Why didn't his parents seem to love him anymore?

Finally, he figured out why, he was good, but he wasn't as good as Kiyo.

And the first seeds of resentment were planted.

And now, he hated and loved his younger brother at same time.

And unless Souji turns out to be as much of a genius as Kiyo, Marui has a feeling that Souji will also grow up hating his older brother; but if he is even better than Kiyo, then Marui's sure that everything that happened between him and Kiyo, will happen all over again, except this time it will be Kiyo growing resentful of Souji.

Everyone of the Marui siblings wanted to be number one in their parents eyes, and the problem was, only one kid could be number one.

And that kid wasn't Marui Bunta. Not any longer, not since Kiyo turned out to be _better _than him. And never again, because Kiyo was still better than him, and always would be.

**4. He thinks of Jackal as a pillar.**

He tells people that Jackal will handle everything, because Marui's scared of promising something and failing to live up to that promise.

Jackal is calm and steady and unmovable, and has never failed to live up to his promises. Marui admires this, and it is the reason he relies so heavily on Jackal.

Marui's terrified of failing, because he has long harboured a thought that his parents don't love him anymore because he failed.

So he tells people that Jackal's in charge of this, and in charge of that, because if he doesn't volunteer to do anything, he can't fail to do anything.

And Jackal has never failed.

Jackal is Marui's pillar, and Marui knows he can lean on Jackal, and Jackal will never waver.

Niou might be Marui's best friend, but Jackal will always have a special spot in his heart.

**5. He chews gum not because he has to, but because he likes to.**

Yes, he started the habit of chewing gum and devouring cakes before matches because he couldn't keep up with the harsh regiment of Rikkai. His stamina couldn't match the other regulars, so he relied on the sugar in his sweet treats to bolster his energy.

But you don't stay long at the top in Rikkai if you don't improve. And Marui has long managed to overcome his stamina failings through long harsh days spent running on treadmills and swimming laps repeatedly. He can match any one of his teammates in endurance now, except for maybe Jackal, who was inhuman in his stamina.

No, Marui has long stopped needing to chew gum during matches. It's just a calming habit now.

Heck, he even uses it as a distraction during some of his more boring matches. Seeing how many bubbles you could blow while playing with one hand behind your back and still win the match 6-0, was a wonderful challenge when your opponent could not even come close to his level.

Marui's ruthless side delights in humiliating his opponents.

**6. He delights in making his opponents despair.**

He is proud of his abilities. He exults in the fact that no one else can do what he does with a tennis ball.

He loves the look on the faces of his opponents when he makes the ball walk across the net.

Their amazement and the beginnings of despair etched in their faces appeals to the part of Marui that wants to be seen as the best.

He glories in the way his opponents simply throw down the towel when he shows off his Pole Strike.

His ears caught the whispers, that Marui Bunta was a _genius_. And his heart reached out to those whispers and clung tightly to them. Someone still thought he was a genius, unlike his parents, unlike everyone in his family.

Marui thinks that he is willing to do anything to keep that feeling alive. The despair and misery of his opponents is a small price to pay for the bits of self-confidence his victories give him.

To put it simply, all Marui wants is to be recognized.

**7. He fears not being good enough.**

His parents barely give him the time of day anymore. He's been living on scraps of affection since Kiyo revealed his genius.

Though he pretends not to care, in his heart he thinks that he has failed his parents, and that's why they don't pay him any attention anymore, and it _hurts._

It hurts that the people who are supposed to love him unconditionally seem to have forgotten about him.

It hurts to know that no matter what he does, he will never be good enough for his parents.

Childhood fears and tears have given birth to both an inferiority complex and a superiority complex.

He craves to be number one, and he kind of believes that he is superior to the general populace. He believes himself to be a genius.

But he feels inferior, always standing in his younger brother's shadow. He tells everyone he is a genius, but he doesn't believe it.

He is a mix of arrogance and insecurities, and Marui has stopped trying to figure out what he really believes a long time ago.

He just knows that he is terrified of failure.

**8. He adores being part of the team.**

He has always wondered what it was about tennis that kept Marui attached to it, when he has picked up and discarded so many other sports.

He thinks it has everything to with the people he play tennis with. If it weren't for the Rikkai Regulars, if he had been part of any other tennis team, Marui has a feeling that he would have dropped tennis a long time ago.

He was pulled in by Yukimura's fire, and it was Yukimura that started his passion for tennis.

He was anchored down by Sanada's determination, and it is Sanada that keeps his urge to improve in the sport alive.

He was entangled by Yanagi's plans, and it was Yanagi that first nudged him along the path of his abilities.

He was roped in by one of Niou's webs, and it is Niou's presence that keeps the game of tennis fun for Marui.

He was dragged along by Yagyuu's drive, and it is Yagyuu's fire that keeps his own burning.

He was caught by Jackal's love for the sport, and it is Jackal that keeps Marui's interest peaked.

He was drawn to Akaya's passion, and it is Akaya that keeps Marui on his toes.

The Rikkai Regulars have changed Marui, and Marui has changed them.

They are a team, but they are also a family, and Marui loves being part of a family that loves him and recognizes him.

Though sometimes he questions his sanity for staying in the team, especially when his hair has just been dyed green by Niou, Akaya has just stolen every one of his cakes, and Sanada is lying face down on the ground because Yagyuu has just _accidentally_ hit him on the head with a golf club.

But then he shrugs, and joins in the madness.

**9. He holds a great respect for Yukimura.**

Yukimura was the one who recognized the spark of competiveness in Marui. Yukimura was the one who noticed the burning ambition behind Marui's playful smiles and whimsical words.

It was Yukimura that helped him to rebuild his self-confidence, and it was Yukimura that introduced him to the world of tennis.

He was playing tennis before meeting Yukimura, yes, but it was Yukimura that really taught him _tennis_.

He has always admired Yukimura, and he always will.

Yukimura is the center of everyone in Rikkai, and Marui Bunta is no exception.

**10. He must win.**

Behind Marui's flippant brush offs and teasing smirks, lies a deep urge to win.

When he teases his opponents and plays at half-strength, there is still one thought always on his mind, victory.

Although he acts more uncaring than his teammates when it comes to winning, this doesn't mean he likes winning any less.

Because in his heart, Marui thinks that it is his failure that led his parents love away from him, and it is because of this that Marui refuses to lose ever again.

To put it simply, Marui must win. And that's all there is to it.

-0-0-0-

Sorry for the wait. I know I promised this to be up by next Saturday, but I was down with a really bad flu last week, and when I recovered and wanted to finally write this, my computer just died on me. Sorry again!

But here it is at _long _last. Not so humourous as the others, but I hope you like it all the same.

I'm quite fond of this one.

Tell me what you think!

Next up: Jackal Kuwahara

~FO


	7. Kuwahara Jackal

**Of Rikkai:  
Kuwahara Jackal**

**1. He was a long-distance runner before becoming a tennis player.**

He loved running, he really did. In fact, Jackal used to be part of his old school's cross country team.

His stamina comes naturally, but it takes practice and long-hard trainings to get it to its current level.

He used to train for hours, just running and running, but somehow, he was never as good as the rest of his teammates.

In Japan, Jackal's stamina is legendary; In Brazil, his stamina is slightly above average. It's all part of genetics really; Brazilians in general are gifted with an aptitude for stamina.

So, one day, tired of trying the hardest and still always emerging fourth-best (because he wasn't even good enough for second-best), he decided to try pursuing a different sport. He would still run, but he'd think of it more of a side-hobby than a vocation.

His parents suggested tennis, and Jackal decided to give it a go. He didn't have the natural talent for it, but he kind of enjoyed it anyway. But he probably have given it up if it wasn't for his senpai.

Among the many more talented players in the tennis club, his senpai had picked him out to train, to nurture.

And under his senpai's eye, he really started to love the game.

Being in Rikkai just enhanced the feeling - that tennis is _fun_.

**2. He has an autistic younger sister.**

His parent's love them, this is undeniable, but neither of them have a family fortune stashed somewhere or a high-paying job that just rakes in the money, so they have to work extra hard to ensure that their children can live in comfort.

And with his parent's always out working, Jackal was left with the task of taking care of his autistic sister. If he made it sound like a chore, it isn't, because Jackal loves his younger sister with all his heart.

People say that Jackal's stamina is his greatest attribute, but in reality, it's his heart.

He grew up running after his sister, teaching her things patiently, and talking to her about inane everyday things. He treats her like a normal person, unlike the way others treat her, awkward and unsure. To Kuwahara Yara, her big brother is the best ever.

Jackal has always loved taking care of those younger than him.

**3. He wants to meet his senpai again.**

His senpai might not have been the most talented player in his old tennis club. His senpai might not have been the fastest, or the most accurate or the strongest, but Jackal holds him in higher regard compared to even the best of the best.

His senpai believed in him, when everyone else just passed over him, not really caring about the half-Japanese boy that liked practicing under the oak tree. His senpai took him underneath his wing, and brought out the hidden potential in Jackal.

Most of all, his senpai thought him to not think of tennis as a competition, but as a game.

In remembrance of everything his senpai has done for Jackal, Jackal shaves his head. It doesn't seem like much, but to Jackal, it means everything.

Jackal wants to meet his old senpai again, but at the same time, he doesn't. He's scared that he has glorified his senpai, and that his senpai isn't as good as Jackal remembers.

But that's a minor fear, because Jackal doesn't think he has over-idolized his senpai; he still remembers his senpai's faults and failures, but just doesn't care.

Rather, Jackal's main fear is that he isn't good enough to meet his senpai's expectations.

To put it simply, Jackal wants to meet his senpai again, but not until he is as good as he can be.

**4. He didn't want to move to Japan.**

He had been devastated when his parents announced they were moving back to his father's home country - Japan. He was sad to leave behind his friends, his house and all the other familiar things that make Brazil feel like home.

In Brazil, Jackal fits in perfectly, he knows everyone in his small town, and everyone knows him. But they were going to move to Kanagawa, a big, big city, where everything is impersonal and detached; where people could live as neighbors for years and never say more than a polite hello. And before he even finished packing to leave, Jackal already hates Japan.

When he enrolled into Rikkai, Jackal hated Japan even more. The narrow minded students couldn't even see past the different colour of his skin. Some were afraid of him, scared of the boy's height and larger build, and stayed away. Some of them left him alone, not really giving a damn that Jackal looked more foreign than anyone else in their school.

But of course, some people didn't. They teased him unmercifully, and heckled him about his mixed parentage. For the first few days, Jackal endured it, because he had promised his parents to behave.

Then Marui and Niou had approached him one day, and Jackal eyed them in apprehension. Although it was only the second week of school, the pair had already earned themselves a reputation as the Terrible Duo. It was rarely good news when those two approached you, in fact, you could pretty much sign yourself over to the Devil when they did.

Marui plopped himself next to Jackal, while Niou leaned lazily against the table. Jackal sighed, and asked resignedly, "What do you want?"

Marui and Niou share a look, and Jackal grows even more suspicious, but then Marui cracks a wide grin, and asks, "I heard from someone that Takayashi's gang have been heckling you."

Jackal grows steely and says coolly, "What's it to do with you?"

Niou just smiles, "I thought you might like some revenge… And we'd like to offer our services."

The barter continues, and Marui's and Niou's plans grow more and more extreme by the minute. Jackal wonders what he has gotten himself into when the latest plan involves a dress, a firework and lots of whip cream. And what in the world did they need a _chandelier _for?

And somehow or other, among all the crazy plots, Jackal doesn't hate Japan quite as much anymore.

**5. He has his pride.**

Around the other Rikkai Regulars, Jackal comes across as the mild, easy-going one of the wildly competetive bunch. He seems the most quiet and certainly more modest than his doubles partner. Some people even say that Jackal should grow more of a backbone and stand up to some of his more assertive and aggressive teammates.

When the other Regulars hear this, they let loose a snort of derisive laughter.

Sure, Jackal doesn't brag or boast about his abilities. Sure, Jackal's ego doesn't measure up to Marui's. But Jackal, a pushover? Yeah, _right_.

Although Jackal doesn't declare his genius to all and sundry, there is a core of steel in him that refuses to back down.

Although Jackal is more mild and calm than his teammates, he has his pride.

That is why even when it threatens Marui's and his position in the game, Jackal doesn't back down from Kaidou's challenge of endurance. His stamina is the point that he excels him, and here was this second-year brat challenging him. Of course he wasn't going to back down.

Interestingly enough, Jackal might be the most prideful of them all.

**6. He kind of likes it when Marui volunteers him for stuff.**

Sure, it's kind of annoying when Marui refuses to take responsibility over _anything_, but Jackal kind of likes it.

He understands that Marui has a fear of letting people down, and believes that if he doesn't promise anything, he can't disappoint.

He appreciates the fact that Marui trusts him enough to give the responsibility to Jackal.

It's a mark of pure trust that Marui is willing to let him be in charge of so many things, that Marui thinks of Jackal as a pillar.

But he drew the line when Marui volunteered him to clean the third floor toilet in the Science Wing. That toilet _stunk_, it stunk more than Niou's old gym socks that had been growing freaking fungus. It even stank more than the wonderful _perfume_ Akaya made with bad eggs and spoilt milk, and dumped on Sanada. And here Jackal was, cleaning it. Bloody Marui.

**7. He is the hardest worker on the team.**

Underneath all the flippant remarks and flamboyant play, each of the Rikkai Regulars work themselves to the bone on their game. They spend countless hours doing drills and laps and just practicing their heart out under Yukimura and Sanada's strict eye.

But even among them, Jackal's diligence stands out.

He is not a genius, unlike Yukimura and Marui and Kirihara and the rest. He does not have the natural knack for the game that all his teammates seem to have. He isn't as crafty as Niou, or as calculative as Yagyuu, but he had his prowess. His own ability that none of the others had.

However, unlike the other Regulars, _his _is the product of pure hard work.

He doesn't rely on mind games or fancy trickery to win his games; he fights for it, plain and simple.

This aspect of his personality is not limited to his athletic abilities; he applies it to his everyday life too.

Jackal has never given in; he has endured every teasing remark and malicious insult thrown at him with a shrug and a calm rebuttal.

Jackal refuses to let them win. He refuses to let people's words do what they were intended, that is, tear his self-confidence apart and make him doubt himself.

Jackal won't let his friends fall prey to their own insecurities either; his heart won't let him leave their fears alone, but insists that Jackal do his best to help them.

He's trying his best to ease the demons of each and every one's of his friend's. There's a lot more work to be done, but hey, that's what Jackal's best at.

**8. He is the go-to person for advice.**

Every single one of his teammates come to him for advice. Sometimes, they don't want to confess their problems to their best friends, because it's just too close to home.

Jackal is the only one that Yukimura confesses his fear of dying to. While all of their teammates are hoping and believing that their captain is infallible, only Jackal knows that his captain is absolutely terrified.

Only Jackal knows that Sanada was almost falling apart during Yukimura's absence, that Sanada had absolutely no idea how to cope. Jackal just advises him to breathe in and relax, because nobody expects Sanada to be like Yukimura, and to just lead the team in the way that _Sanada_ believes as the best.

Only Jackal knows that Yanagi is toying with the possible idea of transferring to Seigaku. Jackal keeps mum about this because Yanagi told him in strictest confidence, and Jackal never breaks his promises. He just tells Yanagi his quiet opinion that Yanagi should learn to leave the past behind and leaves Yanagi to ponder this.

Only Jackal knows how much Niou hates his parents, because the white-haired boy has bunked at his place several times, trusting Jackal not to say anything, except for a few words of calm advice.

Only Jackal is aware of how much Yagyuu likes to switch with Niou when the pressure to be perfect becomes too much. Although Yagyuu has never said this to him explicitly, Jackal still knows.

Only Jackal knows how conflicted Marui is over his younger brother, and just how insecure Marui really is. Jackal never lets on that he knows, but he subtly offers a few words of encouragement anyway.

And only Jackal knows exactly how much Akaya hates himself for hurting people. When Akaya is shivering and shaking from the pure _weight _of what he has just done, Jackal is the one to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder and tellling him to just calm down.

Jackal will always know their greatest fears, and he will always try his best to help them. After all, they trust him to do the right thing for them, and Jackal knows that the right thing to do is help them realize _they_ know the right thing to do.

It's one of the twisted webs of Rikkai, and Jackal, though he sometimes fades into the background, is an integral part of it.

**9. He is, perhaps, the only one who sees Yukimura Seiichi for who he is.**

He isn't Sanada or Yanagi, who are Yukimura's best friend, and therefore know him best.

Nor is he Akaya, who is Yukimura's protégée, and therefore privy to some information that nobody else knows.

Rather, he is Kuwahara Jackal, and while everyone of his teammates see Yukimura as something akin to a God, Jackal sees him for what he is, a fourteen year old boy who just has a lot of charisma.

His teammates hold onto the belief that Yukimura is invincible and that he will never fail. Jackal knows that Yukimura is _not_ invincible and makes mistakes just like everyone else.

And perhaps, because Jackal is the one who sees Yukimura clearest, it is Jackal that admires him the most.

**10. He will not fail.**

People trust him, and it is their trust that drives him to keep fighting.

People insult him, and it is their petty spite that makes him struggle harder to prove them wrong.

But most of all, his teammates believe in him, and that is why Jackal will not fail, because he has their hopes and beliefs riding on him.

Jackal is stubborn, and he will never let anything pull him down, not their insults or their nasty words.

Jackal is persistent, and he will not let his teammates fears pull him down either, instead, Jackal will pull _them_ up.

Jackal won't fail, because that's just who he is.

-0-0-0-

Whew, that was a monster of a piece. Lots of mind-wracking and soul-searching to write about Jackal. With what little I know about him, he was a challenge. And I'm not too fond of number 10... But overall, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results. Yay!

And it was on time, cookie for me~ XD

Next up: Kirihara Akaya

Reviews are love!

~FO


	8. Kirihara Akaya

**Of Rikkai:|  
Kirihara Akaya**

**1. He was born to play tennis.**

He is a born athlete. He is naturally flexible, fast and strong. He also has an inborn talent for picking up new moves. Even when he was three, he could pick up new sports faster than most children twice his age.

He started to play tennis at the age of five. His parents had been too busy with work to take care of him, and Akaya was liable to create havoc if left bored. His nanny could not keep up with the rambunctious boy. So his father, who was an ex-varsity tennis player, signed him up to a tennis club for young children.

His coaches were astounded; this five-year old moved with the natural grace of a kid much older than he. Admittedly, the kid was still kind of klutzy, and was quite likely to trip over his feet, but he was still obviously _talented_.

He was constantly told that he was a genius at tennis. That he was number one, and being an impressionable child, Akaya believed them, and built up a considerable sized ego.

So when he entered Rikkai, he thought he was definitely going to remain the top dog, and that he was going to whoop the asses of the so-called "Three Demons".

He didn't.

And it was those first three losses, that feeling of crushing defeat that ignited a new spark in him; a new sense of competitiveness that had been slowly waning, because no matter how much Akaya loved tennis, it lost its exciting thrill when he could win all his matches with barely any effort.

But in Rikkai, if you didn't put in any effort, well… you were going _down_, natural talent or not.

The mere mention of Rikkai's training system sent a chill down most tennis player's spines.

Akaya loved it.

**2. He both loves and hates his parents.**

When he was younger, his parents were constantly MIA. He saw them once a week at best, and once every three months at worst. He is more attached to his older sister than he is to his mother.

But Akaya still loves his parents because he is still innocent that way. He believes that they care for him, and it's the _world's _fault, not his parent's, that he never sees them.

Despite that, Akaya hates them. He wished his father were around to see the trophies he brought home from tennis tournaments (_Look, Dad, I'm going to be as good as you)_, he wished that it was his mother who admonished him for tearing his new jeans, and not his sister (_Sorry, Mum, I'll try not to next time)_.

But they never were. His trophies lie unnoticed by his father and it's his sister that scolded him for ruining another pair of jeans.

His parents are divorced now, and Akaya sees his father even less. His father and sister have moved all the way to Nagasaki, and Akaya feels lonelier than ever. He wished that his father never started seeing that other woman, and that his mother could forgive his father, so that maybe, just maybe, the four of them could be a family for once. He wished his sister had stayed with him, at the very least.

He loves them, and he hates them. But most of all, he wished they were around.

**3. He is not stupid.**

Yes, he's a little oblivious, and childish, and just kind of dense, but he's not stupid.

He is always in the Top 20 in his whole year, and Rikkai is a very academically driven school. His only bad subject is English, which he has somehow never managed to pick up. He just doesn't have the knack for it.

He knows more than people think, but he just doesn't say anything. After all, it wouldn't change anything if people knew that Jackal had a fear of rabbits. Or that Marui has a collection of teddy bears. (You don't want to know how he found out)

People think he's stupid because he's very direct. He doesn't play the mind games most of his teammates seem to delight in. To him, it's simple, you play the game, you insult the opponents a bit, and you _win_.

Perhaps, in his way, he is less cruel than his teammates. Yes, matches against Akaya _hurt_, but unlike his teammate's style, it's very simple, really. If you aren't fast enough to slam the ball back at him, or at least quick enough to dodge, you get hurt. His teammates twist your brain up and leave you terrorized, regardless if you won or lost.

People see the way Akaya just says whatever he thinks, whether it's offensive or a compliment, and call him stupid. But the way Akaya sees it, he's just making life easier for everyone. You don't have to guess where you are with Akaya, because he will tell you exactly what he thinks of you, explicitly.

No, Akaya isn't stupid, just very blunt.

**4. He is manipulative.**

Despite his forthrightness, Akaya knows how to manipulate. Akaya doesn't really realize what he's doing, but he knows that smiling in that particular way and opening his eyes just right can get him whatever he wants.

He knows that if he smiles and asks sweetly, random strangers (especially middle-aged old ladies) are willing to buy him the very nice (and expensive) cake in the shop window.

He knows that if he opens his eyes wide and says his excuse with the most innocent air he can muster, the teachers will just blink with an odd look on their faces and let him off (except for Kobayaka-sensei, who would just laugh and tell him that, no, a spider can _not_ rip apart his textbook and homework assignment).

In tennis games, he unconsciously sets up a strategy. He knows that if hits it this way, he should hit a lob after this. And if the body shot doesn't work, he should just start giving almost-misses and shots that are completely off target until his opponent slips up. Unconsciously, he is manipulating their minds and bodies, instilling terror in the very hearts of his opponents.

Akaya weaves a net of manipulation, without even realizing it.

**5. He does not like hurting people.**

He doesn't like the way the bruises form on his opponent.

He hates the way the blood dyes them red.

He wishes that he could stop the way they fall, too dazed with pain and fear to do much else.

But the demon inside whispers to him that it's their fault that his parents hate each other now, that they caused everything that has gone wrong in Akaya's life to go wrong. It doesn't matter that Akaya's never met them before, it's _still their fault._

Akaya tries to ignore it, but ignoring the voice just makes it grow more vicious, and sometimes, it's so much easier to just give in and let the demon have its fun. As long as the demon doesn't do anything permanent, Akaya supposes that he can live with the guilt.

As long as he kept winning, and therefore kept the Rikkai dream of a Third National title alive, Akaya can deal with the blood that seems to taint his hands when no on else is around.

But when he lost to Fuji, he started to wonder if it was worth it. He had blinded the other player, and he still lost. Was the guilt and hurt that their pain caused him worth listening to the demon?

He didn't think so anymore.

But it was so hard to stop, but at least now, Akaya's trying.

And once Akaya sets his eyes on a goal, he will succeed, even if it takes a thousand years.

**6. He both wants and doesn't to defeat the Three Demons.**

It is his ultimate goal, to defeat Yanagi, Sanada and Yukimura. He wants to beat his three senpai, and finally be number one again.

Akaya wants to be the best in the world, and to do that, he has to beat them. And he vows that he will, one day.

But at the same time, Akaya doesn't. Life has been changing too fast for Akaya to keep up, from his parent's divorce, to their move to Kanagawa, to his sister leaving for America, and his mother's new boyfriends… so Akaya wants to cling onto the one constant in his life, that the Three Demons were infallible.

He is conflicted, because once he beats Yanagi, then that should mean he's better than Yanagi, but Akaya knows that he isn't, not in any way. He's still too naïve and childish to be better than Yanagi, who always knew the right thing to say at the right time. When Akaya tries, he just makes things worse. Maybe their personalities and way of thinking have nothing to do with tennis, but tennis is so tightly intertwined with Akaya's life that is has _everything _to do with tennis.

Sanada is the one who trains him and disciplines him, and if Akaya beats Sanada, that means Sanada shouldn't train him anymore, because Akaya would be the better player, but Akaya can't imagine a life without Sanada yelling at him to stop running slowly or he would get the slap of his life. Sanada is the thing that pushes him forward, when even Akaya himself thinks he's hit a dead end. Without Sanada, Akaya doesn't know what to do.

Most of all, Akaya is scared of beating Yukimura, because Yukimura is his center. The one who listens to him when no one else wants to bother, the one who teaches him how to control the demon inside him, the one who was supposed to be perfect, and if Akaya beats Yukimura, then that means that Akaya has to leave the comfortable place under Yukimura's wing, and stand on his own, and Akaya doesn't think he can.

So while Akaya _will_ one day beat the Three Demons (because he was that stubborn and persistent), Akaya hopes that nothing will change, that Yanagi will still be the one that's telling him how to improve this swing and saying that if his mom's new boyfriend comes around tonight, Akaya is welcome to bunk at his place; that Sanada will still be the one that yells at Akaya to stop lazing around and start practicing already, pushing Akaya forward when everyone else has given him up as a lost cause; and that Yukimura will still be his centre, the one who steadies him and mentors him and just listens to him, when no one else will.

From the day the short, unruly first year that was Kirihara Akaya challenged the Three Demons to a match, their lives were intertwined.

Akaya hopes, in that innocent childish way of his, that it will always be that way.

**7. He is ambitious.**

His burning ambition is obvious to anybody who has spent more than five minutes with him. From his dreams of beating Yukimura, to his ambition of achieving Grand Slam before he's twenty three, Akaya has millions of goals and high expectations of himself.

He wants to be the best, because it is the one thing that Akaya believes will bring his father's attention back to him. His father doesn't call, doesn't write, and the only mention of him that Akaya gets is through his sister. Akaya thinks that if he becomes the number one tennis player in the world, his father will smile at him proudly, and Akaya will have his father again.

He wants to be the center of his mother's attention, because if his mother is focusing on him, then she won't be hooking up with all those sleazy guys who treat her like dirt. The ones who yell at him for making any noise and sometimes even back hand him for talking back. Akaya believes that if his mother is proud of him, and places all her love and attention on him, then she won't go back to those guys that smell like alcohol and cigarettes.

Akaya isn't just ambitious; he has the fire and the drive to back it up. He is a blend of serious ambition and childish optimism, which is perhaps the most important thing. Because if you can hold on to your dreams with that child-like stubbornness, you might catch a star simply because you wouldn't let go.

Call him a dreamer, an incorrigible optimist even, Akaya doesn't care, because he knows he _will_ achieve his ambitions, even if it kills him.

**8. He kind of likes being the baby of the team.**

Well, sure, it was irritating the way Marui and Niou insist on calling him Aka-chan. And it was kind of annoying the way they insisted that Jackal had to watch him wherever he went. But Akaya sort of likes it.

His teammates pay him the attention his parents never have.

Yukimura treats him like a cross between a younger brother and his star protégée, and it's obvious to everyone that Yukimura has a special soft spot for their second-year ace. Akaya can get away with things that would normally invoke the demonic wrath of Yukimura. Marui finds it very unfair that Akaya can get away with dyeing Sanada's hair green, but Marui has to clean Yukimura's horse stables when he did the same trick.

Sanada thinks of Akaya as an unholy brat whose sole aim in life is to annoy the hell out of him, but Sanada can't help but be fond of the junior anyway. And it's because Sanada cares about Akaya that he treats him harsher than the rest of his teammates. Sanada knows that Akaya needs someone to push him, and besides, Akaya _is _going to become the next captain of Rikkai, and for that, Akaya needs to be the best. (Sanada pities Akaya's future teammates)

Yanagi is Akaya's favorite senpai. Akaya goes to Yanagi's whenever things get too rough at home. Yanagi's parents have gotten used to the green-eyed kouhai of Yanagi's. Yanagi's mother has even started thinking of him as a second son. Yanagi will always help him out with anything, no matter how minor or major it is. Akaya feels comfortable telling Yanagi things he feels shy talking to Yukimura or Sanada about.

Niou is his mentor, at least when it came to pranks. Akaya kind of has a love/hate relationship with Niou. Akaya likes Niou, because Niou's _fun_ and has some of the most delightful ideas for embarrassing the general populace of Rikkai, especially Akaya's English teacher. However, Akaya does not like Niou when he glues Akaya to a chair or something along those lines. That meant war. While Akaya hasn't won a single prank war with Niou yet (the current score was 246 to 0), he isn't going to stop trying.

Yagyuu is kind of funny, the way he lectures Akaya about proper etiquette and decorum. Akaya never put much stock into manners, he thought it was superfluous and only for stuffy old men. But one day, just for the hell of it, he tries out the manners that Yagyuu have been impressing on him. He goes home that day with seven bars of Belgian chocolate, the most expensive cake in the grandest bakery in Kanagawa and several phone numbers. Akaya tosses out the phone numbers, and sits down to enjoy his spoils. From now on, Akaya decided, he will be the faithful student of Yagyuu's How to Be a Gentleman lessons. At least, for a while.

Marui is sort of like the older brother Akaya's always wished he had. Marui teases and heckles him like every older brother in the world, but treats him to small portions of cake anyway. Marui thinks of Akaya as the younger brother that Marui already has to many of, but he supposes it could be worse. People Akaya don't like generally end up in the hospital, and Marui isn't a masochist. Besides, as long as Marui is in Akaya's good books, he can use the strange charm Akaya has on Yukimura to pull whatever joke he wants.

Jackal is his designated babysitter, which automatically makes him annoying, even though Jackal has done nothing wrong. Akaya doesn't think he needs a babysitter, he's thirteen years old, goddammit! But he supposes that Jackal is not half bad either. Akaya genuinely likes the half-Brazilian's calmness and kind-heart. Not that he was going to give Jackal an easier time, though. Jackal's face was hilarious whenever Akaya is getting into yet another troublesome matter.

Akaya loves his team, he wouldn't trade them in for all the money in the world.

And behind all the tricks and teasing and frustrated sighs, his team loves the little seaweed head too.

**9. He idolizes Yukimura.**

Yukimura is his idol. Akaya thinks of Yukimura as a God. Not just because of his tennis prowess, but because Yukimura seems to know everything, and just what to do.

To Akaya, Yukimura is invincible.

So when Yukimura collapses one day, Akaya's world feels like it's spun out orbit. _No, no, no, Yukimura-buchou can't be sick, he can't!_

When Akaya sees Yukimura lying in the hospital bed, looking so frail and weak, it feels like a punch to the gut. No, it feels worse than that, it feels like his heart was ripped out of his throat and he's asphyxiating. Yukimura shouldn't look so sick, he just shouldn't.

So perhaps out of all the Rikkai Regulars, Akaya is the most thankful that Yukimura is all better. Because if Yukimura died, Akaya doesn't know what he would've done without his idol.

Without Yukimura, Akaya probably would've succumbed to his inner demon a long time ago.

**10. He is going to win. **

Akaya's going to be number one some day. This isn't a guess, or a hope or even a dream, it's a fact.

Because when everyone else has given up on their dreams, or had their interest pulled elsewhere, Akaya's single-minded focus will keep him trying harder.

When everyone's settled down and is sitting on their laurels, Akaya is still going to be running forward and chasing higher and higher dreams.

Akaya's childish determination will take him farther than another's stubborn ambition . Because while the person plays just to be the best, Akaya plays for the enjoyment, and that makes all the difference.

-0-0-0-0-

And I'm one day late, bad girl, bad. XD

I kind of like this one, but I think some parts could be better. I love Akaya, and I wanted to do him justice, so I hope I did. Please tell me what you think. Reviewer number 70 gets to request a ficcy~

And this isn't going to be the last one, because I'm going to do a final chapter - The Ten Truths of Rikkai as a Whole. Or something along those lines.

Next up: Rikkai

Thanks for reading~

~FO


	9. Rikkai

**Of Rikkai**

**1. They begun with Yukimura.**

Everything started with Yukimura. The blue-haired boy entered Rikkai, and was determined to build a team, a team that would surpass everyone.

He first met Sanada, who underestimated him, but soon learned his lesson when Yukimura pounded Sanada into the ground. After the game, Yukimura smiled, and asked Sanada, "You'll be joining the tennis team, of course?" Sanada nodded mutely, and that was that.

Then came Yanagi, who caught Yukimura's interest when Yukimura saw the Data player firmly trounce one of their second-year senpai's. Yukimura's smile was fierce when he asked Yanagi to play against him. Yanagi agreed, and was not at all surprised when he was completely beaten by the effeminate boy. He had predicted all of this, of course. Right after the match, before Yukimura even opened his mouth to ask, Yanagi said yes. Yukimura smiled.

After that came Niou, whose manipulative streak was almost tangible. Everything about the boy screamed _Trickster_. Yukimura, who always liked playing with fire, didn't hesitate to ask Niou if he would like to join his future team. Niou eyed Yukimura for several seconds, before nodding, and saying with a smirk, "As long as it's not boring."

Marui was next to join their little rag-tag group. He had a casual smile and playful manner, but Yukimura, who had the same glint, immediately saw the spark of competitiveness in his eyes. When Yanagi mentioned that the boy was an athletic genius who seemed to coast through games, Yukimura was convinced. The next day, Yukimura invited the red-head into his team. Marui cocked his head, and said, "Hmm, sure… if you can keep up with my genius." Yukimura smiled, and replied, "I'll do my best."

About one-third through the school-year, a half-Brazilian, half-Japanese boy transferred to Rikkai and joined the tennis team. As per the club rules, new members couldn't play games until a week after joining. But Yukimura saw the way the dark-skinned boy seemed to make ease of the laps that left most of his year mates gasping and clutching their stomachs, and knew the boy would make an excellent addition to his team. He was correct, of course.

Then, Niou dragged in Yagyuu, bluntly declaring that this was their new team member. Yukimura nodded complacently, before idly suggesting to the captain that Yagyuu should play a game against Niou. The captain agreed, but not before wondering _why_ he was listening to the first-year's orders. (Niou answers him in a bluntly cruel manner. "Captain doesn't have any power anymore. You're just a puppet to Yukimura.") Niou and Yagyuu played until evening, with the tie-break at 52-51. Yukimura smiled, and asked if they'd like to play doubles together. Niou smirked, and said that he planned it all along. Yukimura's grin widened as he remarked, "I know."

Yukimura looked at his team, and was contented. This would be his winning team next year, the one that would defeat every opponent they faced, the one that would win. There were seven of them, and they would triumph. It was enough; they did not need a reserve.

But then, came the whirlwind that was Kirihara Akaya, who cockily walked onto the court and rudely pointed at Yukimura, saying, "Hey, you, the captain, I want to play a match against you." Before Sanada could react and berate the boy for his rudeness, Yukimura answered him, with an icy smile, "If you wish."

Yukimura ruthlessly beat the boy, and then Sanada and Yanagi did the same. Yukimura expected the boy to slink off, tail between his legs, but the boy didn't. Instead Yukimura found red-eyes glaring up at him and declaring that he would beat them, even if he died trying. And Yukimura found himself with an eighth member.

And Yukimura was delighted.

_This_ would be their team, the team that would conquer Nationals. The team that was the best.

The team that would win.

**2. They all firmly believe in the power of Yukimura's smile.**

Yukimura has a million different smiles, and knows exactly how to use them.

He can make your world feel better; he can light up the room.

He can make you do things you said you'd never do; he can make you reconsider what you were going to do.

He can break your heart; he can mend it.

He can drive you on; or he can hold you in your place.

He can comfort you; and he can terrify you.

He can do all of this, and more, with just his smile.

His team knows this; they have fallen prey to that vague, sweet smile of Yukimura's countless times.

And they wouldn't have it any other way.

Better that they are manipulated and chided around by Yukimura's smile, then to see him pale and stricken in a hospital bed.

And even when he is deathly sick, Yukimura still finds the strength to smile at them, and reassure them that he will be fine.

It breaks their heart. Here was their captain, seriously ill, and still trying to comfort them, when it should be the other way around.

Yukimura's smile is beautiful, and his team hopes it never dims.

**3. They all work themselves to the bone.**

Rikkai is harsh.

If you slacken, just a bit, you are torn down.

If you rest your laurels, satisfied with yourself, you are brutally reminded that there are others working to catch up, and eventually surpassing you.

So it's no surprise that the Rikkai Regulars work hard. But nobody knows exactly how hard they work. They are the top, and to remain at the top, they will fight.

They don't know the way they collapse on the court, too tired and fatigued to do much else, even speak.

They don't know the way they go home, muscles sore to the bone, and still get up, masking their pain with a grin, to endure another hard round of practice.

If they even think about slowing down, Sanada or Yukimura or Yanagi will be waiting to kick them in the ass (or in Sanada's case, slap them in the face), and telling them to hurry up, or it would be another 100 laps.

They are naturally talented, but talent alone doesn't get you far, not in Rikkai, and they know it.

The training is painful and harsh, but they bear it.

Because they are Rikkai, and Rikkai is the best.

**4. They will bend, but they will not break.**

When Yukimura collapses, they are terrified.

Yukimura is their cornerstone, and without him, the burden feels ten times heavier. Sometimes, it feels like too much.

But they have made a promise to Yukimura, so they will drive on.

If Yukimura recovers, all their tears and sweat will be worth it.

If it doesn't, they will still fight, to honour him.

But when Yukimura comes back, it feels exhilarating, even better than before. They have learnt much with Yukimura gone, and one of the lessons is how much of their burden Yukimura bears. They realize, for the first time, just how much they need Yukimura to keep them grounded. With Yukimura's absence, their bonds grated and bent, but at the same time, grew stronger.

Now, with Yukimura back, the team feels like it can do anything. You can throw any obstacle you want at them, and they will bat it right back, with twice the force.

They are bent, and cracked, and flawed. But they are not broken.

**5. They are ruthless.**

Each of them have a hope, a dream, and their pride to protect. And when it comes to this, they are ruthless.

Yukimura has a dream of carrying his team to a Third straight Nationals, and leaving his mark in Rikkai's history, and he will not let anything get in his way, not even his own body.

Sanada has his pride that will not accept defeat, and though he has some losses to his name, he will have his revenge. He will crush anybody who opposes him.

Yanagi does not like losing; he wants to prove himself right all the time. He will make sure that this does happen, and he will ruthless cut down anyone who contradicts him.

Niou has a hope that he will one day earn his parent's affection, and to do this, he has to be the best. And though he won't admit it, he will do anything to keep this dream alive.

Yagyuu has a fierce pride, a drive to be number one. He will not accept second place, or anything other than first, and if you are in his way, you will be ruthlessly tossed aside.

Marui has a dream- of being the best again, better than his younger brother, and everyone else. He wants to be considered a genius, and to do that, he will fight and beat down anyone who tries to take that dream away from him.

Jackal hopes to meet his old senpai again, and to do that, he has to be the best. He has to win, and he will mercilessly strike down anyone who challenges him.

Akaya has his dream of being the best in the world, to remind his parent's of his existence. He is similar to Niou in that way, but different because he acknowledges it, and uses it as his driving strength. He would not let anyone beat him, even if he had to deal with blood on his hands.

They are ruthless in their hopes, and they will not let anyone take it away from them.

**6. They are misunderstood.**

People see Rikkai as a ruthless, cold and impersonal place. A school which was ice in its selection, and burning in its ruthlessness.

They are right, but they also couldn't be more wrong.

Rikkai is ruthless, but it is kind, in its twisted way. The members all have their past demons and childhood fears, and it is Rikkai that helps them overcome it.

Rikkai is cold, but it is fueled by a raging fire. They are fiery hurricane, and will burn anyone who comes near, but it warms their own.

They are right about the first two, but they couldn't be more wrong about the third.

Rikkai isn't impersonal. With Yukimura as their center, they catch people's attention and drag them into their world, like it or not.

Yukimura is considered delicate and fragile, but his team knows this as false. Yukimura is the strongest of them all, and he will never break.

People consider Sanada to be cruel, but they are wrong. Sanada cares about them all, and that is why he pushes them so hard.

Some people think Yanagi is cold, but he isn't. They think he doesn't care about his teammates feelings, but he does, and that is why he is willing to tell them what they did wrong, so bluntly. It hurts, but at least you can improve.

Niou is thought to be heartless, and though Niou encourages this thought, he isn't heartless, not really. He might be flippant, but he cares about his teammates, more than he himself admits.

Yagyuu is envisaged as perfect, but he is not. He is flawed, just like everyone in the world. He will play tricks, and misbehave, just like every teenager in existence. The only difference is that Yagyuu doesn't get _caught._

Marui is regarded as a cocky, arrogant brat who thinks he is superior to the whole world. But Marui doesn't; he knows he is inferior, but that is what fuels his fire.

Jackal is believed to be a pushover, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Though he doesn't say much when his team heckles him, they know to stop when Jackal does speak up. Jackal has his limits, and his team knows it, and know better than to push it.

Akaya, most people reckon, is a bloodthirsty demon, but Akaya isn't. He is scared, and guilty, and wishes the blood and fear would stop.

They are misunderstood, except by each other, but each other is all that matters, in the end.

**7. They will part, but they will not forget.**

In the way of the world, they will part. Nothing stays the same, and one day, they will grow up, and go their own ways.

Yukimura will pursue his ambition of being a psychologist, because though he hasn't said anything, his illness has taken away more of his athletic ability than he would like to admit, so he will settle for the next best thing. He has always been interested in the human mind and its relationships.

Sanada will enter the police force, like his grandfather, because Sanada has always had a thing about protecting people. And Sanada's determination and discipline will help him rise through the ranks.

Yanagi will become an acknowledged scientist, and will go on to invent cures for several illnesses. Though Yanagi loves tennis, science and data has always been his true calling.

Niou will one day become a famous lawyer; his way with words and sly cunning becoming his trademark. And Niou will be surprised, because he always thought he was going to amount to nothing.

Yagyuu is going to be a doctor. Though his father wishes his son to follow in his footsteps, Yagyuu will finally stand up against his father, and pursue his true dream.

Marui will become a world-renowned chef. He will open up many famous restaurants around the world, and a personally-cooked meal by him will be worth _a lot_. And after a while, Marui will smile, and realize that he has made something of himself, after all.

Jackal will enter the world as an adoption agent. He will look after orphans and do his best to find them new, happy homes. He will also end up adopting quite a number of troubled orphans that everyone else has given up on. Jackal always had the biggest heart.

And out of them all, only Akaya will continue playing tennis as an occupation. He will enter the tennis world, together with some of Japan's most promising tennis players, and still shine among them. He will one day go on to achieve his dream of Grand Slam, and even beating Echizen Ryoma in a long, hard match.

And though they will have their own paths, and new lives, they will still meet, once in a while, to just sit down and relax. They will talk about their new lives, and reminisce about the old days.

Yukimura will still be able to manipulate them all; Sanada will still be stoic; Yanagi will still unnerve them with his predictions; Niou will still play tricks on them, just with even more subtility; Yagyuu will still assist in Niou's pranks; Marui will still devour all the cakes; Akaya will still beg Marui for one of his sweet treats and Jackal will still sit there and wonder how he ended up with this bunch of loonies

Things have changed, but their bonds remain the same.

**8. They are more than a team.**

They are a team, of course. But they are more than that.

Teams just spend practices together, and part at the end of the day.

But Rikkai spend their days together, chatting inanely and playing tricks on each other. Or at least, Niou, Yagyuu, Marui and Akaya do, while Sanada (and sometimes Jackal) is caught in the crossfire. Yanagi and Yukimura simply observe with a casual smile as yet _another_ bucket of water falls on Sanada.

Teams are friends, but not _best_ friends, cheesy though it may sound.

Rikkai is blunt, and rude with each other, which is perhaps, the sign of true friendship. When you are really best friends, you do not fear to tell them what you think. Which is how Yanagi was one day told to get a hair cut by the whole team, because goddamnit, that haircut sucked.

Teams will only show interests in your problems if it affects their game.

Rikkai cares about each of their teammates, and will always try to make things better. Sure, their methods are sometimes unorthodox, but it's the thought that counts. So when Yukimura is having a bad day, and ready to snap at the next person who speaks to him, Niou gathers up his teammates and plan to traumatize Sanada, just to make Yukimura smile. (Niou likes to declare dramatically, at these instances, about the sacrifices they make for their captain.)

Teams are fleeting, ending when the members graduate.

Rikkai is for life.

Rikkai is family.

**9. They are bound by tennis.**

People wonder how Rikkai are such a close-knit group, because you would be hard-pressed to find such a hodgepodge group of people with potentially clashing personalities anywhere.

But the answer is simple, if you stop to think about it.

And the answer is tennis.

Tennis is their passion, and it is the reason they came together in the first place.

Tennis is their drive, and it keeps them fighting, when everything feels like too much.

They love tennis for its thrill, and its fun, and the plain joy it brings them.

But most of all, they love tennis because it brought them together.

**10. They will win.**

They have lost, yes, but it is not the end.

They might not be number one any longer, but it doesn't matter.

Sure, they did not win that third National title, but it won't stop them.

They will accept that defeat, and use it as their driving force.

And next year, or the year after that, or the year after _that_, they will reclaim their position as Kings.

Because they are Rikkai, and that says it all.

-0-0-0-

And this is the end... I'm happy, because I finally managed to finish a multi-chapter story, but sad, because I love doing these things.

Thank you to all my reviewers, who have all been awesome and inspiring.

Special thanks to those who reviewed every chapter: -, Ecstatic Petenshi and GYS.

I'll do the one about Hyotei eventually, but first, I want to do a couple of one-shots...

I hope this chapter doesn't feel redundant, because I loved doing it.

Much Love,

~FO


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